April 20, 2006

Frank Gallagher, Days of Fear (Harper Bros., 1929).

Owen and David have been in again... There are thousands waiting outside... Their anger is growing... God help us if it breaks before its time... There are tanks, machine-guns, rifles ready for it if it breaks before its time... G.H.Q. are right... They have ringed the prison round with barbed wire and are waiting until the first death turns the praying into howling... Then after a little time there will be many silent. They have trebled the cordons... "And they ... made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards."... They are afraid that the people may get sudden strength and, coming by night, steal our bodies... How horrible the subjection of a people!... But the people are stronger than they... The line of unarmed Volunteers who are standing between the people and the troops, these are stronger than all their men and all their armament... I can hear the people gibing the Tommies in their warkit... I can almost see them falling back before the Volunteers in their shoddy... I wonder are Ernie and Farrell somewhere in the Volunteers cordon... They will mind... I suppose they are thinking of the night... and the laughter when the danger was over... It is painful to remember laughter... (89-90).